Elementary students throughout the Wantagh School District were excited to welcome some special guests to their classrooms on Feb. 2. It was Shadow Day, an annual Groundhog’s Day tradition in which high school students are invited to spend a few hours as a teacher’s apprentice. 

 

There were 32 shadows from grades 9-12 at Forest Lake, Mandalay and Wantagh elementary schools. Teachers were invited to sign up and then were paired with students by business education teacher Christine Compagnino. Many of the participants returned to their former elementary school. 

 

That was the case for senior Faith Stallone, who participated in her first Shadow Day with Barbara Moeller, her third grade teacher at Forest Lake Elementary School. Ms. Moeller is now a second grade teacher and was thrilled to welcome back a former student. Faith led a Groundhog’s Day lesson and said she learned how to relate to children since she aspires to be an elementary school teacher.  

 

“It’s going to be a good experience going into college to already have a day in an elementary school under my belt,” Faith said. 

 

Junior Addison Gottlieb and sophomore Lillian Sottnik both shadowed their mothers, who are second grade teachers at Forest Lake. Addison, who took part in Shadow Day for the third time, helped out with many tasks from assisting students during math centers to creating a Valentine’s Day-themed bulletin board. 

 

“I like to see how my mom is in a working environment,” Addison said, “and I have also always wanted to be a teacher.”

 

Lillian is unsure if she will pursue a career as an educator, but she took part in Shadow Day for the first time to see if she would want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. 

 

“I just want to see what teaching is like and it that’s something I would want to do,” she said. 

 

Senior Caitlyn Johnson joined Lillian in Tara Sottnik’s classroom and said it was enlightening to get a behind-the-scenes look at teaching. 

 

“It’s good to know how a usual day goes in an elementary school,” Caitlyn said. 

 

Sophomore Dylan DiScala was in Amanda Mooney’s fifth grade class, the teacher her younger brother had. One of her tasks was helping students in math as they worked on simplifying fractions. Sophia Santopietro was in a third grade class and said the experience taught her to be patient and how to help children with their individual needs. 

 

“I’m enjoying that I get to see teaching from a different perspective,” Sophia said.

 

Ms. Compagnino explained that the purpose of the long-standing Shadow Day is for high school students to go out into the working world and get a glimpse of a career they may be interested in pursuing one day. The experience is part of the high school’s work-based learning program. 

 

“These students may dream of becoming teachers, administrators, physical therapists or other educational professionals,” she said. “All of them walked away with a sense of what positive work ethics and professional relationships are all about by experiencing the day at their respective elementary schools.